Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disc golf. In particular, the invention relates to a location system for locating and tracking the flight of a disc golf disc during the play of disc golf.
Description of Related Art
Disc golf, also known as Frisbee® golf, is a flying disc game, as well as a precision and accuracy sport, in which individual players throw a flying disc at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, “The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.” The number of disc golf courses doubled in the 8 years from 2000 to 2008 and continues to grow. The game is played in about 40 countries around the world.
Ed Headrick, who is now regarded as the “Father of Disc Golf”, designed and installed the first standardized target course in what was then known as Oak Grove Park in La Canada Flintridge, Calif. (today the park is known as Hahamongna Watershed Park). Headrick worked for the San Gabriel, Calif.-based Wham-O Corporation and is credited for pioneering the modern era of disc sports. While at Wham-O, Headrick redesigned the Pluto Platter, reworking the rim height, disc shape, diameter, weight and plastics, creating a controllable disc that could be thrown accurately. Headrick marketed and pushed the professional model Frisbee® and “Frisbee” as a sport. Ed founded “The International Frisbee Association” (IFA) and began establishing standards for various sports using the Frisbee such as the sports called Distance, Flying Disc Freestyle and Guts.
The game involves a number of specialized discs and it is not unusual for a player to have 10 or more different types of discs for different playing situations. Each type of disc has a unique flight characteristic, so losing a disc can inhibit proper game play. Losing a game disc is, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence. When the disc goes in an errant manner it is not too difficult to lose the disc on the terrain or water features on a course. Since disc golf discs are relatively expensive, different methods of locating a lost disc have been utilized. The attachment of buzzers, lights, electromagnetic signals and the like have been used or suggested. These devices are susceptible to water damage and can land where a buzzer or light cannot be heard or seen. Attaching fizzy tablets like Alka-Seltzer brand headache tablets to a disc has also been utilized in order to find a disc under water when the disc lands in a pond or deep body of water. Water is a problem for any location device on land too, since courses being mostly grass, can be wet, especially after a rain. None of the systems suggested or available to disc golf players allow for tracking distance, speed, rotation or the like. Accordingly, while there are some devices out there that partially solve the problems of locating a lost disc, there is not a complete system that meets all the needs of the disc golf player.